Alarm apparatus



D. MURPHY ALARM APPARATUS Sept. 7, 1937.

Filed Jan. 20, 1934 5 Sheets-heet 2 m im ew. Z fc@ m NMR Nrs D. MURPHY ALARM APPARATUS Sept. 1937.

Filed Jan. 20, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 12d@ yk MM .Z i d 5S Hmlllll'- ther into the same.

Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention broadly relates to an electric alarm apparatus which is economical and has for its object the provision oi an automatic electric apparatus which is highly eiiicient for actuating alarms when the location in which the apparatus is used, is subject to hazards of various kinds.

I am familiar with tl: fact that various kinds of electric alarm apparatus have been devised heretofore for the protection of property, and an object of my invention is to eliminate some of the objectional features oi electric automatic alarm apparatus. Some of these objections are high cost oi complicated apparatus, necessity of extensive alterations or repairs in the location to be guarded, limited utility and much annoyance in its complicated operation.

Some of the more specic objects of my invention are the provision of apparatus which may be arranged easily in any building without extensive changes and also may be readily detached and stored away when not in use. Likewise, my apparatus be shifted from a location which is subjected to less hazard than another location without any great amount of inconvenience, cost, or effort.

Another object is the provision of apparatus which may be placed on the iloor of a building in a location which must be passed over by an intruder if he wishes to gain access to the storage place of valuable articles. Similarly, my apparatus will actuate an alarm in case the intruder enters the building and attempts to proceed far- Most alarm systems with which I am familiar are intended to actuate an alarm when the intruder attempts to make entrance into the building. However, the cost of installing equipment for the successful execution of such a plan, ii needed for only a short period of operation, is prohibitive and also installation and rental cost is prohibitive for many persons needing such protection. My device is adapted to iiil this particular need in addition to many others.

In addition to serving primarily as a burglar alarm my apparatus is designed to give Warning of other hazards, one of which is re. Some sprinkler systems are equipped to sound an alarm as well as free a quantity of Water for extinguishing purposes at the point of need. My appara-tus is designed to actuate an alarm when re breaks out or when water is damaging or endangering the location or premises guarded so as to give warning of the danger that otherwise might be overlooked.

Many kinds of property are subject to being damaged by the presence of water coming from broken pipes, leaky roofs, and the like. My apparatus is designed to actuate an alarm so as to give warning of a dangerous condition on the 5 premises where my apparatus is used.

A further object is the provision of apparatus which may be arranged to give Warning of the three hazards specifically set forth or any one of them.

Another object is a provision to safeguard my apparatus from being tampered with by intruders so as to render the apparatus ineiective Without at same time actuating an alarm.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in top plan of a room having my alarm apparatus arranged for service;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially 25 on the line 4*:1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail View of the lower conductor screen preferably employed in my invention;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the upper screen preferably employed; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View of the wiring circuits employed in connection with the novel parts of my invention and the parts which are Well known in the art.

Referring now to Fig. l, my device comprises 35 generally a flexible protecting covering I0 which incases the major portion of my apparatus which is placed upon the oor of the room or location to be guarded. Electrical connections later to be described are operatively arranged with the 4 apparatus so as to carry out its intended purposes. A battery II supplies current for operation and is grounded at I2. A wire I3 connects one terminal of the battery with an open relay I4 which is in turn connected by wire I5 with 45 a closed relay I6. A wire I1 connects closed relay I6 with a terminal I8 of a switch I9 although a fuse 2U is interposed therebetween. A second terminal 2I is arranged for operation with switch I9 and is connected to a ground 22. The relays and switch herein shown and described are old in the art and it is well known how they may be utilized for the purpose of sounding a local alarm or communicating an alarm at a central station when that type of system is employed.

`sible members or rubber tube sections 29.

A terminal 23 is arranged for operation withV switch i9 and has a wire 24 electrically connected thereto for the purpose rci connection with an extension box 25. The wire 26 of the ground wire loop circuit connects the other contact member of extension box 25 with ground Further details of the electrical circuits involved will be given after the following description of my circuit closing and opening apparatus for being acted upon by the various kinds of hazards.

Referring now to Fig. 3, for Athe detection of the presence of persons within the room in which my apparatus is employed I preferably utilize aV pair of spaced, superposed copper screens 2l and 28 and separate them by resilient and compresrIhe tube sections 29 are preferably anchored to the lower screen 28 by textile attaching strips 3U. I preferably secure the edges of the superposed screens with binding strips ti of either rubber or other material so as to prevent raveling oi the screens. Along the outer edges of the screens I place resilient insulating spacing clips 32 and 33 on screens 2l and 28 respectively. The resilient spacing members interposed Ybetween screens 2i and 28 are ad-apted to permit various portionsof the screens to come in contact with each other when a weight is resting upon the upper screen. It can be seen that by the connecting of these screens, which are the conductors of the electric power, and pressing the screens into Contact the current will be made to flow across through both screens. In my particular apparatus I prefer to effect a short circuit in this m-anner for a purpose later to be described. The screen 2'! is shown in detailrFig. 6 and screen 28 is shown in detail Fig. 5, with both of the screens in top plan. The lower screen 23 is preferably secured to a base or supporting member 34 made of a strip of flexible non-conductor material. Preferably arranged adjacent the perimeters of screens E? and 28 and secured to base member 34 are resilient members or tubes 35i and 36 which carry electrical conductor strips for the purpose of forming a closed circuit. The tube members 35 and 3b are preferably formed of rubber, made of varying lengths, and placed in staggered relation to each other so that a weight placed upon one of said tube sections will break the electrical circuit formed between the conductor strips carried by said tubes and accomplish this without regard to where the weight is placed upon the tube members. These tube members are shown in detail in Fig. 4 and contact strips 3'? are secured to the short tube sections 35 and Contact members 355 are secured to the longer tube sections or members 36. EveryV second or alternate rubber tube 39 although made of like material shall be continuous in length but without any metallic strips which are shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 4.V

Lying parallel to the tube sections 35 and 3,6 and secured to base member 34 are stiiiening rods it having eyes li at their opposite ends as can be seen clearly from an inspection of Fig. '7. Since many parts of the apparatus heretofore described are extremely flexible and the apparatus is portable, the stiiening rods il@ are employed for the purpose of facilitating transportation and hold wires and flexible parts rigid. The eyes lil form efficient guides for the electric wires later to be described. The protecting covering lll heretofore mentioned incases the screens and Various tube sections mentioned, and the overlapping edges 42 and 43 of the covering lil shown in Fig. 3 are held together preferably by electrical conductor bolts ifi having enlarged heads 45 and nuts d6 arranged on the ends opposite the enlarged heads. Appropriate apertures in the lapping edgesof the casing receive the bolts Ml, and wires later to be described which are carried by the protective covering i El complete a circuit between said bolts. A resistance coil fil of a desired number of ohms resistance shown in Figs. l and '7 may be placed in some location not easily accessible.

The wiring and various circuits will now be described in detail in connection with the diagrammatic View shown in Fig. 7. The extension box 25 may be placed in one corner of the room and as before stated receives battery wire 24. In extension box 25 the battery wire 24 is connected to a contact member. Likewise, the wire 255 of the ground wire loop circuit heretofore mentioned is electrically connected to another contact in the extension box 25, and insertable extension plug 48 carries a blade contact member to which a flexible battery wire 49 is attached. A circuit is thus completed between the positive terminal of the battery and battery wire 4s. The battery wire may be passed through the eye il of rod 453 and then soldered to lower screen 28. Another battery wire 5G may be soldered to lower screen 23 at a point distant from the point where battery wire Si is attached, and from said screen 23 wire 5S passes through eye 4i oi a second stiffening rod 4% which is placed in spaced relation to the rst mentioned stiffening rod. The wire 5@ then passes to an extension plug 5i and is electrically connected to a contact blade therein. The contact blade completes a circuit to an appropriate contact in an extension box 52 and thence to a battery wire 53. The extension box 52 may pref` erably be arranged in a diagonally opposite corner of the room from extension box 25. From extension box 52 the wire 53 passes to an extension box 54 which is placed along the side wall of the room close to the extension box 52 where an appropriate contact connection is made. An eX- tension plug 55 carries an appropriate contact member which completes a circuit between battery wire53 and battery wire 85. Battery Vwire then proceeds to the opposite wall of the room and through an appropriate extension plug 56 completes a circuit through extension box 5l to battery wire 58. From extension box 5l battery wire 53 proceeds toward the end of the room in which extension box 25 is located and is received by extension box 5E. Appropriate contact members in extension box 59 and extension plug 60 complete a circuit to battery wire 6l which is crossed over to the opposite side of the room to an extension box 62 where appropriate connections complete a circuit to battery wire 63. Wire 63 then proceeds toward the end of the room in Ywhich extension box 25 is located and then proceeds toward the wall opposite extension box 52 to a point equidistant the side walls of the room where extension box G4 is located. The pro tective casing lil is shown in Fig. 7 in an opened condition, that is, the lapped edges are separated and the casing is laid out flat so as to illustrate the various wiring connections therein. Through appropriate contact connections a circuit is completed to battery wire which is connected to a Contact washer 66 which is secured to lapping edge 42. A series of said contact washers are arranged along the lapping edge 42 and bridging wires 61 are arranged between alternate pairs of said contact washers. When the lapping edge 43 is folded over edge 42 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the bridging wires 68 arranged between contact washers 69 secured to lapping edge 43 complete a circuit between contact Washers 66 so that an electrical connection is made with a netted battery Wire 10 which is arranged between the superposed folds of protective casing I0. This netted battery wire 10 covers substantially the entire extent of the protective casing and is designed to actuate the alarm by breaking a circuit and opening the closed relay if a person -attempts to cut away the protective cover in order to disable the alarm apparatus. Likewise, the separation of the lapped and bolted edges would break the circuit because the presence of all the bolts is required for a complete circuit. After completing the formation of the netting for the protective c-asing the battery wire proceeds to an extension box 1I which is located at the same end of the room in which extension box 52 is located. Through appropriate contact connections a circuit is completed to battery wire 12 which in turn is connected to one terminal of the resistance coil 41. What will be termed hereafter as the ground loop of circuit is connected to the opposite terminal of the resistance coil 41 and thus said coil is the nal terminus of the battery wire loops of circuit.

Since it is more convenient to do so, the Wire 13 of the ground wire loop circuit will be traced from its connection with resistance coil 41 rather than the connection of wire 25 to ground 22. From the ground terminal of resistance coil 41 the wire 13 passes to a contact in extension box 1| and through appropriate connections forms a circuit to wire 14 of ground wire loop circuit which is looped through one eye of stiiening rod 40. A soldered connection is made to contact strip 31 secured to one of the shorter tube Sections 35 and through contact with cont-act strips 38 and the various other contact strips are connected in series; thus a circuit is completed to the opposite end of the aligned tube sections. A short insulated wire connection 15 connects one of the contact strips 31 with a like contact strip 31 arranged in an adjacent tube Section 35, and through various contact strips of various tubes a circuit is completed to the opposite end of the aligned tube and an insulated wire 15 is soldered to said opposite end. Wire 16 of ground wire loop circuit is a lightly insulated wire, the insulation of which has a low kindling point, and is laced through upper screen 21 and lower Screen 28 as shown in Figs. 3 and '7. The wire 16 extends the entire length of the screen and is then soldered to one of the cont-act strips 31 at one end of a shorter tube section 35 which is located on an opposite side of the screens from the other tubes to Which the other end of wire 16 is attached. A circuit is then completed in series through the various contact strips of the various lengths of tubes, and a short insulated wire connection 11 connects the contact strips of one tube with those of an adjacent tube. The opposite end of the adjacent aligned tube sections has a contact strip 35 to which the wire 18 of the ground wire loop circuit is attached, and from this connection the wire 18 passes through one eye or loop of the stiifening rod 40, thence through the loop at the opposite end and then is laced through the screen in a manner similar to the lacing heretofore described. After leaving the screens wire 1B is connected to one contact of extension plug 5l and through appropriate contacts in extension box 52 a circuit is completed to wire 19 of ground wire loop circuit. Wire 13 is in turn connected to. one contact of extension box 54 and through appropriate contact members is connected to cross wire of ground wire loop circuit. A circuit is then formed through wire 83, extension plug 56, extension box 51, wire 8i of ground wire loop circuit, extension box 59, extension plug 68, wire 82 of ground wire loop circuit, and an extension plug to extension box 62. From extension box 62 a wire 83 of ground wire loop circuit completes a circuit to extension box 54, where through appropriate connections a circuit is completed to wire 84 of ground wire loop circuit. The wire 84 is soldered to the tcp screen 21, At a sp-aced point on screen 21 the wire t5 oi ground wire loop circuit is soldered to said screen and completes a circuit from screen 21 to the ground loop contact in extension box 25. The ground loop contact in extension box 25 is electrically connected to wire 25 of ground wire loop circuit and thence to ground 22.

The operation of the apparatus will now be described in detail. If an intruder comes into the room and walks on the apparatus which occupies most` of the vacant iioor space of the roo-m he will, if he steps upon the casing above top screen 21, depress said screen into Contact with the lower screen 28. If he does this a short circuit will be formed which cuts out resistance coil 41 from the circuit. Since the resistance coil 41 is adapted to provide suilicient resistance to prevent the open relay from being closed, the freeing oi the circuit from the resistance will cause a stronger current to be sent to the open relay and cause the closing of the saine. Thus the alarm will be transmited either to a central station apparatus a-nnunciator or local apparatus annunciator of whichever service is employed. If the intruder should happen to step upon one ci the elastic rubber tube sections 35 or 36 the circuit which is completed by the cont-act of contact strips 31 and 38 will be broken. The closed relay will then be cut off from source ci electrical power and will open. The opening will communicate the alarm to either central station or to the local alarm annunciatcr apparatus, whichever one is used.

Of course, the intruder may attempt to disable the apparatus from operation by the cutting of wires or the like, but if this happens the closed relay will be opened or the short circuit which might be effected will the closing oi. the open relay. However, if the intruder attempts to remove the protective casing from the apparatus by removing the nuts from contact bolts 44 the circuit will be broken and an alarm com,- rnunicated. If the plugs which are connected with the extension boxes are removed or any one of them is removed the broken circuit will cause the opening of the cle-sed relay to sound the alarm.

If the intruder should happen to attempt to crawl under the apparatus in order to reach the opposite side of the rcom or pass the apparatus he will, of course, have to raise the protective casing from the floor in order to provide with the 'upper surface of protective casing Ill,

one of the extension plugs will have to be removed in order to permit the apparatus to be raised a sunicient distance. When this happens the circuit will be broken and the closed relay will open and communicate the alarm.

If lire should break out in a room protected by my apparatus and cause the destruction of the insulation on either of wires 'it or 'i8 of ground wire loop circuit a short circuit through the screens 2l and Z will be completed to the open relay and because of the additional power cause the closing thereof. This will result in the communication of the alarm.

If a water pipe should break in the place guarded the attaching strips 3i) will become saturated and cause a short circuit between top screen 2l and lower screen 2e. This, too, will result in the sounding of an alarm by the closing of the open circuit relay. Y

It is, of course, obvious that my apparatus has a greater utility than merely that of sounding an alarm and units of my apparatus may be used forthe purpose of accomplishing other desired work. For example, the screens may be placed in front of a door for the purpose of actuating a light switch to light the interior of a room or to give notification of entrance of a customer into the room.

When the apparatus is employed for the purpose of giving alarms or for any other purpose the switch i9 is made to bridge the .gap between contacts IS and 23. During the time when it is not desired to employ the alarm apparatus the switch i9 is made to co-me into contact with ground contact 2l. Of course, when the switch lfifY moved from the position indicated in Fig. 1 so as to come in contact with contact 2i 'the closed relay will at rst open and cause the sounding of an alarm and then when the switch arm comes in contact with contact 2i the open relay will be closed; this gives a double alarm at the central station. By this method testing can be accomplished at each time when the apparatus is taken out of operation; it will indicate that the line is in serviceable condition to switch I9 when the circuit is closed to ground 22.

Although drawings and specications for oor covering, Figs. 1 4, are for an oblong shaped covering, this covering can be of any other design that will conform to the oor area to be guarded.

It can be readily seen that my app-aratus may be used asian auxiliary to the use of a more complicated system and gives additional protection at a very slight increase in outlay. As an auxiliary apparatus it is particularly useful because it may be transported to a location which is subject to a greater hazard at a specific time. The operation, of course, is the same as that described herein.

While I have shown and described my preferred form of construction and preferred materials I do not wish to be limited to the precise details shown and described herein but wish to avail myself of all variations in construction and material coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is:

1. PortableV alarm apparatus comprising mat 4 means adapted to be placed upon the oor and to be walked upon, including a covering having overlapping edges, a pair of superposed conductor screens within said covering and being adapted to be pressed together when a weight is placed thereon, a plurality of compressible spacing members normally separating a portion of said screens, said spacing members being of insulating material and a plurality of resilient tube sections arranged in parallel series and separating other portions of said screens, conductor members within said mat means including Velectrical conductor strips in said tube vsections and adapted normally-to contact those in adjacent sections to maintain a closed circuit, and adapted when a weight Y is placed on said members to open said circuit, means for indicating when said conductor screens are pressed together and means Vfor indicating when said conductor contact members are separated.

2. In a device of the class described, upper and lower conductor screens forming part of a normally closed circuit, a piurality of spaced separators of insulating material arranged between said screens, in combination with a plurality of parallel series of circuit breakers forming part of said normally closed circuit, and each formed of a plurality of alternate long and short sections, the said long and short sections o alternate series being in staggered relation, substantially as described.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the circuit breakers include parallel series of rubber tubes each series formed of long and short sections, the long and short sections of adjacent tube series being in staggered relation and contact members fixed within the upper portion of each of the sections and having overlapping contacting ends, substantially as described.

4. In an alarm device of the character adapted to be placed upon the floor in position to be walked upon, a plurality of flexible tubes of insulating materialarranged within the same, each of said tubes being formed of alternate long and short sections, conductor members arranged within the upper portions oi each of said sections, those in the longer sections extending into the adjacent short sections and normally engaging the conductors therein to form a normally closed circuit, and means actuated by the separation of any of said conductor members to indicate the same, substantially as described.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the long and short sections of each alternate series of conductor members are arranged in staggered relation, substantially as described.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the said covering for the device is provided with a' conductor arranged to be practically commensurate with the area thereof, said conductor includ- Y ing sections arranged alternately in said overcontact, substantially as 

